


Diplomatic Incident

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 15:23:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11992515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Avalon tags along on one of Elizabeth's visits to Mario, and almost causes a diplomatic incident.





	Diplomatic Incident

Elizabeth Sunbeam stood back and looked over her supplies. One decent pair of hiking boots, check. One coat (thick but not thick enough to protect her from the worst chill up at the observatory), check. One copy of Astronomer's Digest, check. One basket full of goodies (including some home-made candy and a thermos of hot coffee), check. One angry druid- wait a second.

"Yes, Avalon?" asked Elizabeth, smiling at the druid who'd stolen her heart as he stood in her kitchen. She couldn't see his face beneath his cowl (maybe he'd decided not to have one today), but his arms were folded across his chest and she was pretty sure that he'd be scowling if he had a face.

"I want to go with you," said Avalon. "To, er, protect you from the elements and from any predators." Elizabeth smiled in amusement.

"Avalon, I'm a full-fledged druid. I can look after myself," said Elizabeth. "And I have made this journey several times before with no problems."

"Well... you never know," said Avalon. "I insist on coming with you, Elizabeth." Now Elizabeth laughed.

"You're not jealous, are you?" asked Elizabeth.

"No," said Avalon quickly. Now it was clear why he wasn't showing (or having) his face today. His blush (and facial expressions) would give him away immediately.

"Oh, really?" said Elizabeth. "And the fact that I'm going to see Mario, the cute astronomer who likes me and who I liked for a time, has nothing to do with it?"

"No, of course it doesn't," said Avalon with a scoff. Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Sure it doesn't," said Elizabeth. "But alright, if you insist. Bring a thick coat, it gets chilly up there."

"I'll take two," said Avalon, and disappeared. Quite literally. Elizabeth chuckled as she finished getting her things together. She also needed a water bottle for herself, after all, and her bag for collecting herbs and interesting rocks, and the Star Stones could go in the picnic basket once it was empty. And it would be empty, once Mario and Elizabeth had shared their meal. Avalon would be there too today, so there would be plenty of nervous eating.

Finally, Avalon reappeared out the front of Elizabeth's house, and she walked outside with the picnic basket in her hand.

"Alright, let's head off," said Elizabeth, not really looking forward to this. But she was looking forward to it a little bit- there was something fun about being fought over, and she knew that Avalon and Mario couldn't get into a physical fight. They'd try, but they wouldn't seriously hurt each other.

"If there was any other way to get Star Stones," Avalon muttered.

"Well, I did have to source a Star Stone from the lake thanks to you," said Elizabeth.

"What does that mean?" asked Avalon, though he didn't sound angry. Avalon never got angry at her, he liked her too much to do that. He just got flustered and upset.

"Because I'd already seen Mario too recently, and I didn't want to upset you," said Elizabeth.

"Thank you," said Avalon. "For thinking of me, I mean. Even to the detriment of whatever you were working on at the time."

"Oh, it was just that old treasure," said Elizabeth. Avalon gasped.

"You don't mean Mississippi Jones' treasure?" asked Avalon.

"Yes," said Elizabeth. "That was the treasure."

"Oh, I hope it was treated well," said Avalon.

"The old coins went to the museum, the wooden horse is on display in Silverglade Village outside the town hall, and I let Emily keep the hat," said Elizabeth. "It was all in remarkably good condition."

"Well, of course it was, I used the best protective spells on it," said Avalon.

"So you're the one who hid it," said Elizabeth. "Should I be jealous of your friendship with Mississippi?"

"Oh no, not at all," said Avalon. "He was merely a good friend. Most of the time. When he wasn't desecrating sacred tombs and vaults."

"I understand," said Elizabeth. "Adventurers can be the worst enemy of archaeologists."

"Did Mario tell you that?" asked Avalon, sounding jealous. Elizabeth smirked.

"Maybe," said Elizabeth. Avalon bristled, and it was silent for a while. Elizabeth stopped to grab some thorns and put them in her herb bag, and Avalon watched her carefully.

"Careful of those thorns," said Avalon.

"Ow! Avalon, you distracted me," said Elizabeth, pulling her hand away from the thorn bush and sucking on her injured thumb.

"You should have worn gloves," said Avalon. "Here, let me heal that for you."

"It's just a scratch, really," said Elizabeth, but she smiled and felt warm inside as Avalon took her hands in his and used a tiny bit of Star Circle magic to heal the tiny injury. Then, he kissed her hand before he let it go. "But thank you."

They stopped to collect some berries as well, and some herbs, and Avalon grabbed a few stones on his way up the mountain. Every time he stopped, Elizabeth laughed at him. There was nothing especially useful or interesting about these particular stones, Avalon just liked to collect them. Maybe they looked interesting.

The journey always seemed to take an hour longer than it had to, but finally, Elizabeth couldn't help but have a spring in her step as she strode across the wooden bridge. Avalon was right behind her, grumbling about the way the wind threatened to blow him or his robe off the bridge. Elizabeth had to laugh at that.

Halfway across the bridge, Avalon had to form his legs. They were thin, pale things, but they served the purpose of getting him across the bridge. He also formed hands and arms to grip onto the sides of the bridge.

"It's really not that windy," said Elizabeth as she stood at the other end of the bridge. The wind blew her hair about, and the skirt of her dress, but it wasn't too bad. She'd experienced much worse wind in the mountain pass between Valedale and Firgrove.

"Well, you have a physical form," said Avalon. "And a heavy basket weighing you down."

"I thought all those stones you collected would hold you down," said Elizabeth.

"Were it not for the stones, I would have been blown off the bridge at the first gust," said Avalon.

"That makes sense," said Elizabeth. "Come on, let's get inside before you get blown off the mountain." She opened the door, and had to smile at the bright grin Mario gave her.

"Elizabeth!" he cried, standing up. But then his face fell. "Oh, and you're here too, Avalon."

"Yes, he insisted on coming along too," said Elizabeth.

"I wanted to ensure that this remains completely professional," said Avalon. "No funny business."

"Ah, mon dieu," said Mario with a roll of his eyes. "He is the jealous type, no?"

"He's so jealous," said Elizabeth. "And protective. But he means well." She felt a thin hand grab her own hand, and then a thin arm pulled her to an equally-thin body.

"Mine," said Avalon, sounding like a child. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and laughed.

"You see?" said Elizabeth. "He's a completely serious druid, though. When he's at home, anyway."

"It is no wonder, then, that you seek the whirlwind romance that only a Frenchman can give you," said Mario.

"I know that Elizabeth is not being unfaithful," said Avalon. "She wouldn't do that to me."

"But it does not mean that she cannot enjoy my affections," said Mario. "Or my attention."

"I should forbid her from seeing you!" said Avalon. "But I won't. Elizabeth is a big girl and can make her own decisions, and I will not prevent her from seeing a friend."

"Would that we could be more than friends," said Mario wistfully. Avalon tensed beside Elizabeth, and Elizabeth sighed and pulled away from him, opening up the picnic basket.

"Let's have lunch, shall we?" said Elizabeth. "I brought sandwiches and candy and coffee, and your astronomer's magazine, Mario."

"Ah, thank you," said Mario, taking the magazine first. He opened it up and began reading it while Elizabeth picked up a sandwich and a handful of candy. She suddenly wished for something stronger than coffee, but the drink was for Mario anyway.

Elizabeth had never heard the observatory so quiet. She could actually hear them eating and digesting the food, which was not a pleasant sound. Maybe she should have brought a radio up here. That would be in her next trip, she decided.

"Have you detected any anomalies in the sky recently?" asked Elizabeth.

"No," said Mario with a shake of his head. "Not since the pink lights, anyway. Sometimes stars fall, and I collect and give them to people who help me find them."

"What about the planets?" asked Avalon. "Any strange patterns? Or regular patterns?"

"No," said Mario. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"I suppose that's a good thing," said Avalon. Elizabeth crunched on a candy, and Mario grabbed one and popped it into his mouth with a delighted hum.

"You make the best candies, Elizabeth," said Mario. "They are as sweet as you." Avalon scowled.

"She cooks them for me too," said Avalon. "All the time. I get the reject candy canes at Christmas, and she gives me chocolate hearts."

"Can you even eat?" asked Mario.

"Yes!" said Avalon. "Can you respect that a woman has a boyfriend?"

"Can you respect a woman's right to choose?" Mario challenged.

"Can you dodge this?" Avalon snapped, and threw a stone at him. Fortunately, Mario could, indeed, dodge it.

"Avalon!" Elizabeth chastised him, jumping to her feet. "That's enough! Mario, stop antagonising him."

"He started it," said Avalon, sounding sulky.

"I know," said Elizabeth, patting his arm. "Mario, honestly, you should know better than to poke the bear."

"Oh, I'm a bear now, am I?" said Avalon.

"You know what I mean," said Elizabeth. "Sorry, Mario. I'll just take him home."

"Like I'm a child!" Avalon snapped, and pulled away from Elizabeth. "Mario, consider our partnership terminated effective immediately."

"And then who will tell you about the strange happenings in the sky, or in space?" asked Mario.

"And who will bring you food and your magazine, you mean," said Avalon. "And how will you get to see Elizabeth."

"No," said Mario. He looked at Elizabeth sadly.

"Sorry, Mario," said Elizabeth. "Avalon has more rank than me, so what he says goes. And it was mean of me to keep coming up here."

"I hope that we can work together again in the future," said Mario. "Perhaps I could still give you information, though?"

"Only if you come to the Secret Stone Circle and tell us that way," said Avalon. "If you're willing to make the journey down to the spiral path. Oh, and keep the spiral path a secret."

"Will I ever see you again though, my beautiful Elizabeth?" asked Mario.

"No," said Elizabeth. "Not unless I'm there. And it will be official business then. I'll rent a post office box for you at the post office, you'll just have to make the journey into Silverglade Village every now and then to collect your mail."

"But who will make me candy?" asked Mario. "And coffee?"

"I will see to it that a coffee percolator is installed in your observatory," said Avalon. "And as for the candy, well, you will just have to make do with store-bought."

"I'll make you some candy canes at Christmas, though," said Elizabeth.

"And if she gets chocolate hearts or candy from a secret admirer on Valentine's Day-" Avalon began.

"Then it will be very sweet," said Elizabeth. "But my heart belongs to Avalon now. I hope you understand that."

"I will try to come to terms with it," said Mario with a sigh. "Thank you for the visit, though, Elizabeth. I will miss them."

"I know," said Elizabeth. "Goodbye, Mario."

On the way back down the old observatory road, Elizabeth shivered beneath her thin coat. Avalon put a thicker one on over it, and Elizabeth thanked him and leaned in to kiss him for a moment. Normally Mario gave her a coat, but not today. And not ever again.

But this coat felt unusually warm...

"I hope it keeps you warm," said Avalon. "I put a heat stone in it."

"Thank you," said Elizabeth, giving him another kiss. Although she would miss Mario's attentions, she had a perfectly good boyfriend right here. And she had a feeling that Mario wouldn't give up on her, no matter what she or Avalon said.


End file.
